Online broadcast of rugby league derby proves a hit with fans

Thousands of rugby league fans have watched an online broadcast of the recent Hull FC vs Hull Kingston Rovers clash for the Clive Sullivan Trophy.

The rugby league clubs joined forces with communications provider KC, video production firm Eon Media and sports marketing agency PSM, to make the full match available on the internet within hours of the action ending.

More than 2,600 people – including some as far afield as Bangkok and Saudi Arabia – visited KC’s website in the following week to watch the pre-season friendly, which ended in a 28-22 victory for Hull KR.

It is the first time the annual fixture has been broadcast online outside of the FCLive and Hullkr.tv subscription services, and those involved hope other local sports content will follow.

Sue Helmont, KC’s director of consumer services, said: “The viewing figures for the match have already exceeded our expectations, so we’re delighted with our first venture into this field.

“Almost 10,000 fans were at the KC Stadium for the match and the online broadcast has given a big boost to the overall number of people who watched it. It’s great for fans who weren’t able to attend on the day as well as those who were and want to relive some of the action.

“We’re looking forward to working with the clubs to make more local sports content available in the future.”